Hosiery.



, W. E. SMITH L I. W. KILBOURN.

E. E. KILBOURN HOSIERY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.25,1912.

Patented Deo. 8, 1914.

Allume f;

UNITED STATES TEN'I EDWARD E. KILBOURN, WILLIAM E. SMITH, ANI) ISAAC i/V. KILBOURN, OIF NEW 'BRUNL` WICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS, BY 'MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, lO KILBOURN MANU'- FACTU'RING CORPORATION, OF NEW BRUNSW'ICK, NBV.r JERSEY, A COREORAIIN OF NEW JERSEY.

Spec'ication of Letters Patent.

i HosIERY.

Patented iee. 8, il) liet.

Application filed January 25, 1912. Serial No. 673.398.

To all whom it may concern )ie it: known that we, EDWARD E. KIL- nonns, WILLIAM l. SMITH, and ISAAC W. KILBOURN, ci izens ot' the United States, residing at New Brunswick, in the county ot Middlesex and State ol New, Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hosiery; and we do hereby declare the following' to be a iull, clear, and exact description ot' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains t'o make and use the same.

Our present invention relates to the class otl hosier)Y and more particular-l)v to the manufacture ot' that class known as seamless hose made on circular knitting machines.

ln the manufacture ot' stockinvs of this cl'iaracter, it is well known that die heel is made by knitting with less than the entireI number ot' needles and first narrowing and then wideningzthe web so produced to torm pockets that enlarge the web el those points for the reception ot the lieel ol` the wearer. .ils the heel of the stockingis subject to greater strain and wear, it is customary to strengthen the web at that pointyby the substitution of a stronger or heavier thread 0r by adding a streiwtlieiiing thread to the thread from which t ie other portions ot' the stocking are knit.

There the heel is knittrom a heavier or stronger thread the main threadis usuali)Y withdrawn and the heavier or stronger thread is introduced at the same time at one end ot' the series oi' needles knitting the heel and the change back is made at the same p'intl Such heels mayv be and often are i'lonomihated'as independent heels. The threads yhere referred to are clipped close to the i'ahric in com pli ting the stocking, and as thejY are not otherwise secured often leave a small hole atlhis point. Further than this the strain across the instep in many cases pulls upon the thi' ads so that if there be no opening it will produce a hole, or in case a hole is formed in n iaking, the saine will be increased by use to the detriment of the. stocking.

Willen an additional thread is employed, it is thrown in and out at the same point. This affects the stocking to a less degree but not unfrequentlr small openings are made in this construction also, owing to the strain across the instep referred to.

enlarged View ol the intcrliwkiug stitches alongl the line olI Ijoining ot the two webs' knit by reciprocation ol the machine. Figs. l and l are views similar to Fig. showing slightltY modilied arrangements ol"y interlocking stitches at the joining' oll the two webs knit by reciprocallion ot the machine. ln thesaid dra.\.'ings, A the leg and B the foot of the stocking'. llihen the stocking is knit beginning at the top of the leg, the same is knit in ainV usual mannc.- down to the line lz-LZ). -is but one side of the stocking can bc seen at a time the line apparently ends al` the back ot' the stocking', but it is to be understood that said line is but one-halt el the real line, it e ending from the point b around the back ol thi web to a point upon the other side of the stocking correspoinling to the. point Z) upon the side in ricw. For conreniencc the line (ao will be referred lo as the whole line and a like plan will be pursued in respect to other lines referred to hereafter. i

When the line ntb is reached, a slightly heavier thread substituted or an additional or rcinlareing thread is thrown in lo losin a "higrl spliccir` for the ankle, and ii thc machim` bel'orc this was rotating and making circular knitting. its motion is changed and reciprocating knitting is begun. 'lhc portion ot the web included by the letters c, u. .iu is then knit with the thread or threads inst dcscrilu-d'on thc back while on the. front an ormai number of courses ol the main thread or the thread used in the previiursly formed portion of the stocking. is knit. the two webs being unitcd lo' the interlocking ol' the stitches on the line 7).11 ll'hcn the line o---af is rcachcd. the needles on the 'front of the stocking' are thrown out of operation and the heel is formed -by narrowing' and widening in the usual nianner using a heavier thread or an additional thread as before stated', which. is thrown in at a distance from the inner point of the heel.

. In knitting the heel, if a heavier thread is used, it will be preferably sul'liciently heavier than that used in he high splice to maire the heel fabric heavier than the high spliced portion, and if the -heel is lrnit with a main and reinforcing thread, they will preferably be of such character as to accomplish the result..

When the line Z-.a' is reached the needles on the front of the stocking are thrown into operation and reciprocating knitting continued with all knitting of the main 'portion of the heel and with. the thread or threads used in the part' a---a The stronger or heel thread being thrown out 'and the otherthrown in at a distance from the point of the heel. When the line e-f is reached circular knitting may be resumed with the main thread, if desired, or the foot may be knit by continuino `the reciprocating knitting if preferred, continuing the same threads for the sole of the foot.

Thev method of uniting Vthe y twol webs along the lineb-w-f is of `great importance. It isdesirable that'the union at such places shall be such that if a fault should occur or a stitch', in the line should be broken, the 'stitches of such wale will not run or ravel out. lf- `the stitches of this union were to run when a break occurs the stocking would thereby be rendered practically useless. To avoid this result, I employv the form of inter-locking of the threads along the line b-f shown in Fig. 2.

The two webs made by reciprocating knitting are most conveniently made on a machine having two cam cylinders, each cylinder actuating the continuous series of needles of one web,- a single needle at the junction of each series being adapted to be actuated by both cam cylinders.' When knitting the twowebs'the knitting cams of the two cylinders will be located at diametrically opposite points, each cam'hav'ing its appropriate thread guide.

The thread guide supplying,l one thread (indicated in the drawing by y) this needle with thread as it approaches the needle and also when starting on its return movement enabling it to knit two stitches at each reciprocation. AAnother thread guide suppliesthe other thread (indicated in the drawings by ai) to this needle on its movement from the opposite side of the machine toward the needle but does not do this as it starts on its return. movement, the thread being thrown inside of the needle and not taken by it, so that of this series of interlocired stitches two are supplied 'by one thread to one by the other, but this one of the needles as before the supplies' .insonne thread is interloclred with all ofthe selvagfev stitches formed from the other thread. This produces a line or Wale of interlocked stitches and this wale will not run or ravel out of itself if a stitch be broken.

While the interlocking of the two threads for uniting the webs 'can be best effected by the machine not limit ourselves to this means. While this joining is our preferred form, we do not wish to limit ourselves to this exact construction. A greater number of needles may be operated by both cam cylinders if this should be found desirable. This con` struction is illustrated, in Fig. 3 in which the thread is knit on two needles which also receive the other thread. Also the goining may be effected by forming a single stitch at each side as the thread and Cain approach the needle but forming no stitch on the return movement as before statedin reference to the thready a' and shown in the drawing. This construction is illustrated in F1g. t in which the thread corresponding to the thread ab in Fig. 2 is indicated at :02.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A. seamless stocking having lla main leg portion vand a main foot portion composed of circular lcnit courses, a heel pocket knit cy' reciprocating work and narrowing and widening, a plurality of partial courses above the heel pocket and a plurality of partial courses below the heel pocket inter'- looped with the 'corresponding courses of the front portion of the stocking at each side of the stocking, the lines of said interlooped portions'exten'ding angularly from the inner'point of the heel pocket and relieving the strainvrat the said inner point of the heel pocket when the stocking is worn.

2. A vseamless stoclringhaving a main leg portion-and a niain footportion composed of circular knit courses, and a heel 'composed of the usual heel pocket, a plurality of partial courses above the `heel of heavier fabric than the corresponding courses of the front construction described, we dorv of the leg, and unitedthereto at opposite sides of the foot.. by Anon-ravelable, inter# loopment of the stitches of said partial courses withgcertain sti spending ,cburses of the and a plurality of partial courses below the heel pocket proper, of heavier fabric than the corresponding courses of 'the top ofthe foot, and connected therewith at each side of the foot by non-revelable interlcopment of the stitches of said partial courses, with certain stitches of said'corresponding courses of the top of the foot, said interlocped portions extending in lines singularly to each other from the inner point of the heel and relieving the strain on the fabricl at said peint front of the leg,

ches of said corre` Y 1,1fao,506

time, usual pocket knit; o' stronger (lie rlireml making sind pocket Vori-Lil, than the 11min web, the 'ourses being united with a like 'martial C urges of the material of 1n i, el) on the frozrs or the stocking oy lorliing of lhs thi-@aids o' the said on the lmcl; ol; the Stockrng the from of the i5 l. seamless stocking having an indepor lent heel comprising the usual pocket i oi strong material, and u nimlb'er ol? partial oorirrses above und below said porliet kni: oi" material. stronger than the main web zo oula 0l' less strength than the material of' the pocker, the swirl pm-tial. Coursen united with or come on the front of the i :in inerlorliing of the threads of forming" n Connection nucl Wirral out. rllrl {Ulmliir rml) knitinzio/hina, swirl wel) l Webs united by fr `Al of two Stitches of 'i'fli on) stitoli of the o. y `ein (lf-sibed tubular web knit on u, circular knitting machine, consisting of two p rtnil webs con iectecl by a union which Tre @l5 sri c ies of the (broad of one j with a Single stitch of the 1 woo, said single stitches with two siiilclies of the penden neel comprising die usual heul pocket knit of lieux.A fabi-io and a number of partial Courses above and balon' ll snrl pocket of heavier Ylibri@ than "the corraL sponfling courses of the from @if Llir im ud top of ille foot i @entirely l3nt o l fabric than the liocl pocket proper, whereby thu introduction of dio thread forming lle prrr-tial courses above the heel pocket :rml tho termination of life tlirezrl 'oririin'* lli@ pub tial courseS below the heel pocket ill be at ai distance from the inner point of the heel pocket smid partial courses, being for-moll of solmrato thread from Llio corrzspiniiiiling front coin-ges unil. connected "cheri-i0 along lines al: euch Side of the foot extending i lzirl;v to mieli other Jfrom the said point o liocl pocket.

S. A semnless stocking having :in inde pendent heel comprising the. usual poc il: knit of stronger n'mtorizilN and n number of partial Coursrs above und below sniil pocket knit olf material Stronger than tlm main wel) but of los tongth liiui 'die Miro-d of tiro 1l` ocli0iho changes from :i Llirfzi of our chmxnoer io :lumber haring; bron mm or rlisunce 'from in inner poi it of the i ln testimony i'vhereof we nz; our signin lures, in the presence ol' tivo Witnesses.

Witnesses as to Alilw-:irrl E. lilboiirn and SAMUEL l 

